Worthing Borough Council Seeks Government Aid Amid Budget Shortfall

Worthing Borough Council is requesting financial assistance from the government due to budget deficits primarily stemming from homelessness support expenditures. The council recently passed a vote to dispatch a formal letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), appealing for aid to stabilize its financial position. A projected budget deficit of £2.53m is anticipated for the 2025/26 fiscal year, even though the council’s financial strategy is described in a cabinet report as more “resilient and sustainable.” According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, 19 councils received exceptional financial support this year, which permitted them to utilize funds typically designated for specific purposes to cover their operational or revenue budget expenses. John Turley, Worthing’s cabinet member for resources, indicated that the local authority intends to bridge this financial gap by securing loans from the government and utilizing capital receipts obtained from developers. He stated, “We will be asking MHCLG to address our central funding gap associated with homelessness and the support accommodation subsidy.” Mr. Turley added, “At this stage we can’t say how much we’ll need to borrow.” Kevin Jenkins, the opposition leader, voiced “grave concerns,” suggesting that the council was “only a few steps away” from effectively declaring bankruptcy should no government assistance be provided. Furthermore, cabinet documents for 2023/24 revealed that despite Worthing accommodating the second-highest number of households in temporary housing, it received less government funding per capita compared to other councils within West Sussex. These papers specified that the average funding per household from the government’s Homelessness Prevention Grant amounted to £929 in Worthing, significantly lower than the county average of £3,362.